by Dan O'Connor on July 13th, 2011

The trade deadline is less than three weeks away and Chris Antonetti needs to determine whether or not the right move is out there and if this team is for real. The Indians had an outstanding April, an average May (Hafner missing for most of it), a poor June, and shown some resurgence in July. The Indians shouldn't give up any top 5 prospects that would jepordize their future.

Cleveland could use some offensive help. They currently have the 5th most runs in the AL and 7th best OBP. That's not bad, but given the recent offensive slumps, they could use another bat to bolster the offense.

The Indians have a surplus of relief pitching prospects that they could dangle. Some possibilities out there are David Wright and Ryan Ludwick. Giving up a Chisenhall, Kipnis or Alex White isn't worth it.

by Dan O'Connor on June 27th, 2011

In an effort to create more runs, the Indians have designated infielder Adam Everett for assignment and have called up third base prospect, Lonnie Chisenhall. Chisenhall is the top prospect within the Indians organization and the 25th best in MLB (according to Baseball America). He is considered to be a long term cornerstone piece. Chisenhall projects as an above average bat, some pop, and solid defense. In his MLB debut he went 2 for 4, with a double and one RBI.

Chisenhall was drafted first overall by Cleveland in 2008. While he may have been available in second round, he has proven to be one of the top tier prospects of that draft. Scouts rave over his swing and consistent/patient approach at the plate.

With the Indians offense sputtering, they needed to make a move. Hannahan has played outstanding defense at third base. If other players weren't struggling as much, I'd say leave Hannahan in there because his defense is worth it. However, this team needs to start scoring more runs.

For years to come I hope Chisenhall will hit around .290, hit 15-20 home runs, and drive in 80-90 RBI.

by Dan O'Connor on June 24th, 2011

As expected the Cavaliers chose Kyrie Irving with their first overall pick. Here's what various scouting reports have to say about him.

NBADraft.net

"A “true” PG with a great feel for the game … Great vision and passing skills … Great burst. Has the blow by speed to get past defenders off the dribble … Good decision maker. Looks to make the right play instead of always trying to dazzle [...] Has range out to NBA three and just needs time to gain consistency on it [...] Lack of experience at the college level is concerning considering how difficult it is to master the position at the next level … Could struggle with the transition to the NBA game with just 8 games of NCAA experience under his belt. He's super quick, and makes it almost impossible for his defender to stay in front of him on a one on one basis ... Will cause havoc with his ability to get into the lane and open things up [...] His pick and roll potential could be a big weapon moving forward, as he can make the initial pass or use his impressive change of speed ability coming off a screen to get to the rim [...] Defensively he plays aggressive on ball defense, showing quick footwork and the ability to stay in front of his man with a high motor and high intensity ... Very composed, mature young man both on and off the floor ... His quickness and talent combine to make him a pleasure to watch, as he should blossom into a premier guard in the country within his first year.

CBS Sports

" [...] Despite lacking great elevation, Irving knows how to compensate with good determination and above-average slashing ability to get to the basket and draw contact with his inside game. Has a great work ethic and attitude, bringing energy to the court and leadership to the locker room .... Has the valid speed to elude defenders coming off the screen on attempts to get to the rim [...] Compares To: CHRIS PAUL, New Orleans Hornets -- Irving is by far the elite point guard in the 2011 draft, but lacks the explosive quickness of the premier point men taken in recent drafts -- Derrick Rose (Chicago) and John Wall (Washington). He played well within the Duke's system and is at his best in the open floor. A point guard in size, he yearns to let the shooting guard mentality take over his game. As a defender, he plays true to his undersized frame. His position requires a few years to develop the skills for leading an offense, but he has a very high basketball IQ. He still needs to work on his outside jump shot and could be more selective from the 3-point range."

by Dan O'Connor on June 23rd, 2011


Tonight, the Cavaliers will be making their first overall selections since...you know who. It's looking like Kyrie Irving will be the Cavaliers man at number one overall. I'm all for Kyrie Irving, he fits Byron Scott's system and the NBA is becoming a point guard league.

What the Cavs do with the 4th overall pick depends on what the Timberwolves and Jazz do. The Cavs want to add a big man next, it's looking like Enes Kanter or Jonas Valanciunas. I think it will end up being Lithuanian Center Jonas Valanciunas, whom idolizes and is compared to Žydrūnas Ilgauskas. Valanciunas (who needs a good nickname) won't be ready to play until next year, but his upside is considered "great" perhaps even better than Kanter.

by Dan O'Connor on June 15th, 2011

Travis Hafner returned to the Indians lineup June 17th contributing to a successful homestand. Since returning Hafner has hit .294, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI (5 games). The Indians need Hafner's big bat to provide runs to this lineup, his injury has shown that.

Even though Choo and Santana had a good six game homestand, it's important they continue to hit to compliment Hafner's ability to for average and power. Overall this season, they have played below expectations. .

The Indians are 25-14 when Hafner plays.

by Dan O'Connor on June 8th, 2011

The Indians took high school shortstop Francisco Lindor with their first overall pick.

From MLB.com
"Lindor, a high school shortstop in Florida, has the chance to be an impact player on both sides of the ball at a premium position. He'll definitely be able to stay at shortstop with plus defense, showing outstanding range and a strong arm. At the plate, he's gotten stronger and he could grow into enough power to hit 15 or so homers annually, enough to keep pitchers honest, along with hitting .290-.300 every year.

While he's a solid average runner, he could be a potential leadoff hitter in the future, thanks to his strike-zone knowledge and willingness to take a walk to go along with his ability to swing the bat from both sides of the plate.

Lindor is a high-energy player with good makeup, one who is almost certainly the top high school position player, according to talent, in this Draft class."

From BaseballAmerica.com
"A baseball rat, Lindor has tremendous work ethic to go with above-average tools, and he plays the game with ease and passion. He's a switch-hitter with a line-drive stroke from both sides of the plate, and he has excellent hands that work both at the plate and in the field. He has the tools to play shortstop well at the highest level, with smooth actions, fluidity, instincts and good fundamentals. He's a plus runner but not a burner.
Lindor's power is the biggest question about him. He has flashed more than just gap power at times, which was pushing him up draft boards. His season ended in April, and he wasn't expected to play in Florida's high school all-star game, instead working out on his own. Scouts haven't scoffed at Omar Vizquel comparisons. Scouting directors said Lindor was a legitimate candidate for the No. 1 overall pick, but more likely he'll slot in just behind that."

by Dan O'Connor on June 6th, 2011

The Indians hold the 8th pick in this year's draft. And while none of the prospects are household names, here is what several websites are projecting the Indians to do with their first selection.

BaseballAmerica.com - Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech

BleacherReport.com - Matt Barnes, RHP, UConn

Rivals.com - Francisco Lindor, SS, Montverde (Fla.) Montverde Academy

MLB.com - Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech





by Dan O'Connor on May 26th, 2011



With an off day today, it's seems like a good opportunity to evaluate possible tribe all-stars. The Indians currently have a 5 and 1/2 game lead over Detroit in the AL Central, with a 30-17 record. Recently manager Manny Acta was named to the coaching staff, and even though Ron Washington picked him in Spring Training, it's a well deserved honor. Here's who is deserving and on the bubble to represent the Indians on July 12.

Deserving

Asdrubal Cabrera - no shortstop is having a better season than AC. His power is off the charts this season, an outstanding wOBA (.401) and clutch hitting. One day he might be the future face of the team.

Chris Perez - Tied for the AL lead in save with Mariano Rivera. Perez has converted 12 saves in 13 opportunities.

Josh Tomlin - Entering spring training, Tomlin was battling for the 5th spot in the Tribe rotation. The front office almost signed a veteran to take the 5th spot. So far, it looks like it was the right move. Tomlin has not had a bad start all year, each of his nine starts have been quality starts.

On the bubble

Justin Masterson - In Part II of The Year of the Pitcher, the field of all star pitching candidates is thick. Masterson is having a fantastic year, ultimately it will come down to Masterson's remaining starts and how Ron Washington evaluates the AL pitchers.

Michael Brantley - Brantley has excelled in the leadoff role with the absence of Grady. His patience at the plate and big hits have been extremely valuable.

Orlando Cabrera - O-Cabs most valuable asset can't be measured by statistics. His leadership and clubhouse prescene have made a noticable difference in the team's play and swagger. O-Cab's wOBA hasn't been good (.280). But his 24 RBI ranks third among AL secondbasemen.

by Dan O'Connor on May 22nd, 2011

Nick Gilbert won over audiences watching the 2011 NBA draft with his humor and fashion style. Following that, the ping pong balls bounced into the Cavaliers favor, landing them the 1st and 4th overall picks in the draft. Thus, Nick was proclaimed Cleveland's favorite new face and potentially a good luck charm.

Yes, it is considered a "weak" draft. But, the Cavs have a chance to add a solid piece (or two) for years to come. I believe that starts with Duke's Kyrie Irving. The league is becoming more and more point guard dominated (Rose, Nash, and Westbrook). And Byron Scott's teams have been built around star point guards (Jason Kidd and Chris Paul). Irving has been described as a player who "makes his team better." Derrick Williams is the other option for first overall, he does have the potential to be a "monster" under the boards, but his may be undersized for a power forward.

The 4th pick will be determined based on what Minnesota does with there pick. If Minnesota passes on Enes Kanter, it's possible the Cavs draft him. The Cavs are also considering Jan Vesely (Forward), Bismack Biyambo (Power Forward), and Kawhi Leonard (Small Forward).

By the way, you can get your "What's Not To Like" t-shirts here, 100% of the proceeds benefit to The Children's Tumor Foundation to help find a cure for Neurofibromatosis.

by Dan O'Connor on May 15th, 2011

When the ESPN first reported that the Cleveland Browns traded down to the 27th pick in this year's draft, a wave of frustration blew across my facebook news feed. Comments ranged from, "F*** the browns draft, enjoy the scrubs." and "Freaking cleveland, how do you find a way to disappoint me on draft day."

I'll admit when I first found out the Browns traded that far down I was somewhat confused, but then I heard the Browns got Atlanta's 2011 first round pick, 2011 second round pick, 2011 4th round pick, 2012 first round pick and 2012 4th round pick, I was pretty excited.

I know many of us wanted a playmaker (Julio Jones), but the bottom line was that Julio Jones isn't going to make this team a contender over night, Jones would only see 3 - 5 catches a game his first season. The Browns have multiple needs at multiple positions. Holmgren and Heckert attacking multiple needs at once. The Browns had the 6th worst run defense last year, and they hope to resolve some of that with the addition of Phil Taylor.

While Julio Jones may very well be a future star, there were concerns with his hands, being labled as inconsistent. Whether it's a lack of concentration or a "coachable" issue remains to be seen. It will be interesting to see how Greg Little (the wide receiver the Browns took in the second round) compares to Jones in the following years.

Bottom line is that the Browns wanted defense in this years draft. It's no coincidence that Steelers and Packers were ranked 1 and 2 in points allowed per game in 2010.

by Dan O'Connor on May 4th, 2011

Next month is the annual First Year Player Draft for Major League Baseball. It’s considered to be the deepest draft since 2005 (Which saw the likes of Justin Upton, Ricky Romero, Alex Gordon, Ryan Braun, Ryan Zimmerman, Troy Tulowitzki, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Bucholz)

The Indians hold the 8th overall pick in the draft, meaning a potential multi-year all-star could land in their lap. Here is the some potential prospects that the Indians could draft, ranking and commentary is from Baseball America.

*Indicates high school player

4. Sonny Gray, RHP, - Has outstanding fastball/curveball combo, with competitiveness off the charts.

5. Jed Bradley, LHP - Owns the best all-around repertoire of any lefthander in this draft class.

6. *Bubba Starling OF - Quarterback commit to Nebraska is a freak athlete with the highest ceiling in the draft.

7. *Franciso Lindor SS - Athletic switch-hitter is a fluid shortstop and one of the draft's youngest players.

8. Travis Bauer, RHP - He's unorthodox, but he's also on pace to lead NCAA Division I in strikeouts for the second straight year.

9. *Dylan Bundy, RHP - Has moved to head of prep pitching class with mid-90s fastball, four-pitch mix and good mechanics.

10. George Springer, OF - Best college athlete available is regaining momentum after a low start.

11. *Taylor Guerrieri, RHP - Has the most helium of any player this year after touching 98 mph with his fastball.

12. *Archie Bradley, RHP - Another quarterback recruit (Oklahoma), he has prototypical size and stuff.

13. Taylor Jungmann, RHP - The best pitcher on talented Longhorns staffs for three years running.

14. Matt Barnes, RHP - How deep is 2011? Barnes would have been in the running to be top college pitcher drafted in 2010.

15. Matt Burke, LHP - Inconsistent spring has some scouts wondering if there's more than a blister problem to blame.

by Dan O'Connor on April 29th, 2011

"All I do is win, win, win, no matter what / Got money on my mind, I can never get enough / And everytime I step up in the building / Everybody hands go up / And they stay there, and they say yeah!, and they stay there."

The Indians have got this song stuck in my head and I'm not complaining.

The weather is getting warmer and classes will soon let out. At this point the Indian's success is a tremendous sigh of relief after watching LeBron **** on Cleveland on national TV, the Cavs terrible season, and the Browns losing season (although I am optimistic for their future).

I'm NOT ready to call them contenders. I have enjoyed this 10 game winning streak at home. I really do like Manny Acta over Eric Wedge. And I really like how Acta is able to utilize small ball and find ways to get the bench players get involved.

On a small note, the Tribe is 1-4 vs Chicago and Minnesota. BUT at this point that's still a small sample size, and we have many more games to go against them. Success against the AL Central is critical (The 2010 White Sox were below .500 against the AL central despite their winning record). The 2007 Indians won 67% of their against the AL central (59% overall). Right now the Indians are 6-6 against AL Central opponents.

Our infield defense is "ground ball oriented" for pitchers like Masterson, Carmona, and Carrasco.

.....As far as our division rivals......

Minnesota, Justin Morneau is still HOMERLESS and the Twins have approx. 34 million on the DL, so that plays in the Indians favor (not that I root for players to get hurt).

Kansas City, since there 10-4 start they have fallen to 12-13.

Detroit, despite their 12-13 record, the Tigers have the veterans and experience to contend for the division (Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera). They also have some intriguing young talent in (Austin Jackson, Alex Avila).

Chicago, - Chicago is another veteran ridden team (average age of 29.9 years, the oldest in the AL Central) sitting at 10-16. Quentin-Konerko-Dunn is arguably the best three-four-five punch in the AL.

-----------------------------------------------
Interesting Stats....

DIFFs = Run Differentials

BEST DIFFs in MLB
Cleveland +41
Yankees +35
St Louis +35
Philly +24
Colorado +23

AL CENTRAL DIFFs
Cleveland +41
Kansas City -9
Detroit -16
Chicago -24
Minnesota -47

Again, I'm not calling the Indians contenders just yet, but the AL Central is a "Win-able" Division.

by Dan O'Connor on August 7th, 2010

Tonight, former Indian great, Kenny Lofton will be inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.

Career Highlights and Accomplishments
6 Time All Star
5 Time League Leader in Stolen Bases
4 Time Gold Glover
Led league in hits (1994)
Led league in triples (1995)
Led league in at bats (1996)
.299 Career batting average
622 Career stolen bases

Indians History
1st - Stolen Bases
3rd - Runs
9th - Hits
10th - At Bats
18th - Batting Average

Kenny was arguably the most exciting player of those 90's teams because he would steal extra bases from oponents in the field, stretch singles into doubles, doubles into triples, and swipe bags faster than you could say Alvaro Espinoza He was the ideal sparkplug and leadoff hitter a legitimate contender could ask for.

My favorite memory of Kenny was when he scored the game winning run in the 12-run comeback against the Mariners. There won't be another centerfielder like him.

by Dan O'Connor on July 31st, 2010

On wednesday night a self proclaimed "cleveland sports fan" wore a LeBron James heat jersey into the crowded bleachers during a Yankees-Indians game, just 3 weeks after LeBron publically humilated Cleveland on national TV. Basically, this "fan" was attention hungry and obviously doesn't get enough attention in real life. To make it worse this individual taunted fans and flaunted the "Heat" logo on the front of his jersey. This guy certinately got the attention he wanted and a little more. The police didn't escort him out of the ballpark because of his jersey, it was because he was taunting everyone around him and he was putting his own safety at risk. The Miami Heat and LeBron have nothing to do with the Indians or Yankees, there was no reason to wear that jersey to that game.

by Dan O'Connor on July 28th, 2010

In July of 2008, Matt LaPorta was the key player traded to Cleveland in the CC Sabathia trade. On the night, LaPorta went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and helped contribute to Sabathia's first loss against Cleveland.

Another big story on the night was that Josh Tomlin, In his first major league start, made easy work of the Yankees by going 7 innings and surrending only one run. It's a shame he will be sent down again, he has proven he can excel at AAA.


◀ Older Posts
Next Posts ▶


Search

Subscribe

Tags

1st 2011 2012 draft 2012 4th Aaron Laffey Aaron Acta All-Star Bleachers Brantley Carlos Santana Carmona Cavaliers Choo Cleveland Indians Cleveland Columbus Dave Huff Dominican Republic Donald Fausto Carmona Indians Hall of Fame Indians draft 2011 Indians offense Irving Jake Westbrook Justin Masterson Kenny Lofton LaPorta Laffey LeBron Heat Jersey Masterson Nationals RISP Sabathia Shin-Soo Choo Sipp Sizemore Spring Training Talbot Tomlin Valbuena Victor Martinez Yankees abner abreu accomplishments american andrew luck asdrubal cabrera bat bj upton blackmon browns defense browns bullpen carlos lee carlton smith catcher cavs central chris antonetti chris perez claiborne clutch colt mccoy contenders contracts cribbs deadline debut derrick williams dolphins draft drew pomeranz duke fantasy baseball first pick first place first round first fourth franciso lindor free agent fukudome future gabby sanchez grady sizemore hafner hardesty highlights holmgren home runs ike davis indians justin blackmon kearns kevin youkilis kyrie irving league lonnie chisenhall major league baseball marson massaquoi matt flynn matt laporta mccoy nba offense offseason overall point guard pomeranz power bat pretenders production prospects quarterback rafael perez rbi richardson robert griffin III rockies runners on base senaca wallace shin-shoo choo shortstop signing slugging tannehill third base trades trade travis hafner trent richardson ubaldo jimenez what's not to like white wide receiver winter meetings